Imagine a helicopter exploding and falling up, and you’ll get the basic idea of a girandola, an arcane type of firework. A girandola is a whirling, spark-spitting fountain of burning chemicals, paper, and bamboo that rises as much as 100 feet into the air.

MAKE Volume 33 features our special Software for Makers section covering apps for circuit board design, 3D design and printing, microcontrollers, and programming for kids. Also, meet our new Arduino-powered Rovera robot and get started with Raspberry Pi. As usual, you’ll also find fascinating makers inside, like the maniacs on our cover, the hackers behind the popular Power Racing Series events at Maker Faire.